Once thought of as a British institution, the humble Bed and Breakfast is becoming something of a global phenomenon in these austere times. With people looking to avoid booking a trip with ailing tour operators and the majority of travellers aiming to save money on their holidays, it is becoming increasingly common for British holidaymakers to seek out alternative travel arrangements and homeowners around the world are responding to this demand.

By visiting a private holiday lettings site, it is possible to find a B&B in Lisbon or London, Hong Kong or Hawaii, each host offering a unique experience that can easily be tailor-made to suit your needs. If you wanted to search for New York B&Bs on Wimdu , for example, you may find that some of the available rooms and properties are not explicitly listed as providing B&B services but if you read the description provided by the host, you can often find that what they are offering is, for all intents and purposes, a Bed and Breakfast even if their knowledge of British culture does not extend as far as realising that.

Of course, once you have decided where you want to travel to, it is recommended that you visit the Foreign Office’s travel advice site, to make sure that there are no restrictions in place on travelling to your destination and to make sure that you are aware of any customs or social taboos that you should be aware of, like wearing a scarf to cover your hair in an Islamic country.

So remember, if you are looking for a B&B abroad but are having trouble finding one, just look a little deeper or contact the person or company offering the deal to see if they are willing to provide those services. You’ll be surprised how accommodating people can be!